The invention relates to a fluid compressor with seal scavenge system and method, and more particularly to a seal scavenge system that includes means for scavenging lubricant from a scavenge cavity when the fluid compressor is continuously running loaded.
During operation of a fluid compressor, a compression module or airend is driven by a prime mover to compress a fluid. A lubricant, such as oil, is used to lubricate prime mover component parts, and the lubricant frequently and undesirably leaks past prime mover seals and collects in a scavenge cavity. In order to use the collected lubricant in the compression module, fluid compressors frequently include scavenge systems whereby the collected lubricant is drained out of the scavenge cavity. Conventional scavenge systems use the vacuum produced when cycling the compressor by loading and unloading, to drain the collected lubricant out of the scavenge cavity and inject the lubricant into the uncompressed fluid stream as the uncompressed fluid flows into the compression module.
Since the vacuum required to drain the collected lubricant out of the scavenge cavity in conventional scavenge systems is produced by loading and unloading the compressor, no scavenge vacuum is produced when the compressor is continuously running loaded. As a result, when the compressor is continuously running loaded, collected lubricant is not drained from the cavity. Since fluid compressors are frequently operated continuously loaded, it would be desirable to provide a scavenge system that permits the collected lubricant to be drained from the scavenge cavity when the compressor is continuously running loaded.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming the limitation set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.